Suction washing appliance



Feb. 13, 1962 Filed. July 11, 1960 D. C. GERBER SUCTION WASHING APPLIANCE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1960 United States PatentO 3,020,576 SUCTION WASHING APPLIANCE Dale C. Gerber, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 11, 1960, Ser. No. 41,890 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-320) The present invention relates to a suction cleaning appliance and more particularly to means for inhibiting or suppressing the formation of suds or foam in a unitary floor washer having all of the necessary adjuncts for dispensing a clean detergent onto an area to be washed, for scrubbing the detergent over the area to dissolve and loosen dirt and grime thereon and then to dry the area by removing the dirty detergent solution by means of a suction air stream.

The present invention relates to the same general type of appliance disclosed in a copending application by Don C. Krammes, Serial No. 821,454, filed June 19, 1959, now Patent No. 2,993,223, dated July 25, 1961.

In the foregoing application a water soluble antifoamant cake containing an active antifoaming agent is positioned in the suction air stream of a suction floor washing appliance to suppress foam after it has formed or to inhibit its formation in the suction air stream.

According to the present invention the antifoamant is applied to the detergent solution as it is dispensed so that the suds and foam are never formed.

The floor washing appliance to which the present invention is applied includes a suction nozzle having means for scrubbing the floor, a detergent solution tank for dispensing a detergent solution onto the floor prior to the scrubbing operation, a motor-fan unit for creating a suction and a suction air system for connecting the suction side of the motor-fan unit to the nozzle for picking up the dirty detergent after the scrubbing operation.

During the scrubbing operation suds and foam are sometimes formed, which when drawn into the suction system, interfere with the proper operation of the appliance.

According to the present invention the antifoamant is applied to the detergent solution as it is dispensed onto the floor so that the suds and foam are never formed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appliance to which the present invention is applied with the detergent tank removed; and

FIG. 2 is a side of the appliance of FIG. 1, partly in section, to show how the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the washing appliance to which the present invention is applied includes a combined scrubbing and water pick-up nozzle 10, a motor-fan unit 11, a combined clean and dirty detergent tank 12, a liquid separator 13 and a propelling handle 14.

The nozzle includes two rows of spaced apart bristles 15 which are secured to a bottom plate 16 (FIG. 2) having a narrow suction slit 17.

The extension 19 (FIG. 2) of nozzle 10 is detachably connected to the suction tube 18 by a well known bayonet connection in which the nozzle 10 may be removed by rotating it 180 and moving it axially of the tube 18.

The suction tube 18 extends through the split motor housing 20 and at its upper end is connected to the lower end of wet suction tube 21. The manner in which that is done and the manner by which the suction circuit, including the separator 13, is connected to the suction side of the motor-fan unit 11 is more clearly shown in a copending application by Don C. Krammes, Serial No. 754,093, filed August 8, 1958.

The tube 21 communicates with the upper left hand side of the separator 13 and the dry suction tube 22 connects the upper right hand side of the separator 13 to the suction side of the motor-fan unit 11, all as shown by the aforementioned copending application by Don C. Krammes, Serial No. 754,093. The interior construction of the separator 13 is also shown by that application.

The tank 12 is clamped between the upper end of the motor-fan unit 11 and the lower end of the separator 13 by means of a clamp 23 which need not be described in detail herein.

The tank 12 forms a reservoir for the clean detergent solution and also a reservoir for the dirty detergent as it is collected. A flexible bag 24 (FIG. 2) is removably mounted on the top interior of tank 12 and, when empty, floats on top of the clean detergent. When the tank 12 is in place, the bag 24 receives dirty water from the separator 13 through an opening 25.

As the clean detergent is dispensed and the dirty water collected, the bottom end of the flexible bag 24 moves downwardly as the level of the clean detergent is lowered so that the dirty detergent, as it is collected, occupies the space in tank 12 formerly occupied by the clean detergent. The arrangement is disclosed in a copending application by Don C. Krammes, Serial No. 652,565, filed April 12, 1957.

The bottom of the tank 12 is provided with a valved opening normally closed by a spring closed valve 26 having an extension adapted to be contacted by a control rod 27 actuated by a control lever 28 at the top of the handle 14. The lid 29 for the separator 13 is pivoted thereto at its rear end and is opened and closed by control lever 28. The manner by which the control lever 28 operates to open valve 26 and to open and close lid 29 is more fully disclosed in a copending application by Don C. Krammes, Serial No. 753,900, filed August 8, 1958, now Patent No. 2,986,764, dated June 6, 1961.

The machine is supplied with electric current by an electric cord 30 connected to the switch 31 and to the motor-fan unit 11 in any well known manner.

The handle 14 houses the upper end of the control rod 27 and the electric cord 30, and extends downwardly through a bore in the rear of the separator 13 to form a support for that vessel. At its lower end the handle 14 is rigidly attached to the motor-fan unit 11 and in effect forms the supporting backbone for the entire appliance.

FIG. 2 shows the position of the appliance when in use. In that position a recess 32 formed in the dividing wall 33 is positioned to receive detergent solution from the tank 12 when the valve 26 is open. The detergent solution is then led from the recess 32 through a small tube 34 to the interior of the nozzle 10 from which it flows through slit 17 onto the floor. A cake or bar 35 of an antifoamant material is positioned in the recess 32 in a position to be contacted by the liquid detergent as it is dispensed onto the floor.

The antifoamant cake 35 is in a stable normally solid form and comprises an active antifoaming agent, preferably a liquid silicone dispersed in a water soluble carrier which may be a water soluble wax. The liquid silicone is emulsifiable in water in the presence of an emulsifying agent which may be the soap in the detergent solution.

Various formulations which may be used for the cake are disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 23,237, filed April 19, 1960.

Operation The motor-fan unit 11 is energized by actuation of the switch 31. The control lever 28 is then actuated to open lid 29 and vent the suction line to atmosphere so that no suction will be applied to nozzle 10, and to simultaneously open valve 26 to dispense detergent solution into the recess 32 where it will come into contact with the antifoamant cake 35.

As the liquid detergent comes into contact with the cake 35 the soluble wax carrier will slowly dissolve and release the active defoamant silicone into the detergent stream. That will form an emulsion of the defoamant and detergent which will flow through tube 34 onto the floor and prevent the formation of suds and foam as the appliance is moved back and forth to scrub the floor.

During the washing operation the lever 28 is intermittently actuated to open and close the valve 26 while the lid 29 remains open to prevent the suction from being applied to the nozzle 10.

After an area of the floor is thoroughly scrubbed the lever 28 is actuated to close the lid 29 so that suction is applied at the nozzle with the result that the dirty water will be sucked up between the rows 15 of bristles and through the slit 17 into the nozzle proper.

After leaving the nozzle 10, the mixture of air, dirt, water, soap and emulsified defoamant passes through the suction tubes 18 and 21 and enters the separator 13. In the separator 13 the water, soap, etc. will be separated from the air stream which will pass on to the suction side of the motor-fan unit 11 and be discharged to atmosphere.

The dirty water etc. will flow through opening 25 into the bag 24. Should, the suction air stream contain foam or suds as it enters the separator 13 it would soon render the separator inoperative and at least a portion of the dirty water, etc. would be carried over to the motor-fan unit 11 and eventually flow back to the floor.

That is effectively prevented by the defoamant in the detergent solution as it is dispensed and no suds or foam will be formed during the scrubbing operation or in the suction air stream leading to the separator 13 during the water pick-up operation. 7

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that that embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but wish to include 4 all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A floor washing appliance comprising, a suction nozzle, suction creating means, a fluid flow system conmeeting the suction side of said suction creating means to said nozzle, a liquid detergent dispensing tank carried by said appliance above said nozzle, a liquid flow line leading from said tank into a position to discharge liquid detergent onto the floor and means in said liquid flow line for releasing an antifoamant into contact with the detergent as it is dispensed to prevent the formation of suds and foam and its entry into said fluid flow system.

2. An appliance according to claim 1 in which said liquid flow line leads to said nozzle so as to discharge liquid detergent therethrough.

3. An appliance according to claim 1 in which said means is in the form of a slowly soluble body having an active antifoaming agent dispersed therein.

4. An appliance according to claim 2 including means for venting said fluid flow system to atmosphere during detergent dispensing operations.

5. A floor washing appliance comprising, a suction liquid pick-up nozzle, a motor-fan unit, a fluid flow system including a separator connecting said nozzle to the suction inlet of said motor-fan unit, said separator being carried by said appliance above said motor-fan unit so as to form a space between them, a liquid detergent dispensing tank mounted in the space between said separator and said motor-fan unit, valve means formed in the lower end of said tank, means forming a pocket below said tank and positioned to receive liquid detergent dispensed by said valve means, a liquid flow line leading from said pocket to said nozzle and a body of antifoamant material positioned in said pocket.

6. An appliance according to claim 5 in which said body is in the form of a liquid soluble carrier having an active antifoaming agent dispersed therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,111,768 Spencer Sept. 29, 1914 1,687,283 Deutscher Oct. 9, 1928 2,649,758 Cowgill Aug. 25, l953 2,673,619 Martin Mar. 30, 1954 2,763,886 Brown et a1. Sept. 25, 1956 

